Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
By Martha Smock

God can help and can heal any condition or situation, no matter how frightening or distressing the appearances. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (John 14:27) "I am with you always." (Matthew 28:20)

If you are concerned or disturbed about something, say these words of Jesus over to yourself. Say them and listen to them. Think of the living, loving Christ speaking them to you, through you.

Let not your heart be troubled by sickness. The Christ is within you as healing life. There is nothing to fear, for with God all things are possible; with God there are no incurable conditions. The Christ is saying to you now, "You have been made well!"  (John 5:14)

Let not your heart be troubled by injustice or unfair treatment. Give everything over to the loving Christ and know that this Spirit is able to make all things right. Hold fast to your faith in God, to your faith in the good, and keep your heart and mind open to be forgiving, loving benediction of the Christ. You are beloved of God; you are one with the Christ. You are surrounded and enfolded by perfect peace that the world cannot give, the peace that is God's gift to your heart, mind and life.

"Jesus turned and seeing her He said, 'Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.' And instantly the woman was made well." --- Matthew 9:22



**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Monday, December 1, 2014

Help Thou Mine Unbelief
By James Dillet Freeman

Faith is not an abstraction, it is an attitude towards life, a feeling about life. It does not come out of signs and miracles or any outward happenings so much as out of inward growth.

If you cannot believe in much, then believe in the little that you can. Start where you are and grow. What seed can have a foreknowledge of the tree it will become? Waht thorny bush can prophesy the rose? What worm can tell of the butterfly? Faith grows.

If you find yourself deploring how little your faith is, think how far you have come with the little faith you have. As you climb a hill, it is sometimes well to look back to see how far you have come instead of always looking at the insurmountable heights ahead.

Sometimes, you may have more faith than you imagine, and when you need it, you will find it there within you.


"Therefore, let all who are faithful offer prayer to you, at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them."   
--- Psalm 32:6

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

FAITH

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
November 30, 2014


Meditation On Faith

Setting out on her journey, the young Mary may not have been sure where she would stay or how she would give birth, but Mary had faith that God would provide. I may not always know how things will work out, but faith sets my feet confidently on the path to my good. With each step I affirm God's strength within me and God's wisdom guiding me. My faith in God's power is greater than any fear or doubt. When I am uncertain, I quiet my thoughts, knowing the still, small voice within will direct me. 

God's desire for me is only good. In faith I move confidently in the direction of my good.


"Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name." --- Psalm 32:6


**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

ADVENT (INTRODUCTION)

Although Christmas memories reflect specific times, people, and places, Christmas is a feeling more than an event. It is a special warmth and glow that fills our hearts this time of year.

Yet Christmas can also be a tender time, especially for those who are grieving, struggling or alone. These stories and sentiments should remind us that no matter what is happening in our outer lives, we can find the Spirit of Christmas within. We need only breathe into the present moment, turn our attention to the Christ Presence, and feel our oneness with all of life. Simple acts of kindness, both given and received, can bring us home to the truth that we are never alone.

May Faith, peace, Love and Joy be alive in your heart this Advent season, as together we celebrate the coming --- and the arrival --- of the Christ Light in our world. You are blessed and you are a blessing!

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

INSPIRATIONAL STORY (The Black Dot)

A small town Chamber of Commerce invited a speaker to address it's annual dinner. The community's economy was bad, people were discouraged and they wanted the motivational speaker to give them a boost.

During the presentation, the speaker took a large piece of paper and made a small black dot at the center with a marking pen. Then she held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw.

"I see a black dot," a person quickly replied.

"Okay, what else do you see?'

Everybody looked and many joined in agreement, "A black dot."

"That's good. Do any of you see anything else?" the speaker asked.

After a few minutes of silence, many people in the audience shook their heads and a few answered, "No!"

"What about a sheet of paper?" Asked the speaker. "I'm sure all of you can see the paper, am I right? But you all have chosen to overlook it.'

The audience was stunned and some felt embarrassed.

"In life, we also tend to overlook and take for granted many wonderful things that we have or memorable events. We spend too much time focusing our attention and energy on small, dot-like failures and disappointments. The so called 'problems' that we have are usually like the black dot on the paper. They are small and insignificant if we can widen our horizon and look at the whole picture."

Examine yourself and how you see things. Are you one of the people who focuses your attention and energy on dot-like problems?

I AM CHURCH

Hello,
My name is church.
I'm sure you have heard a lot about me. I have no shortage of critics, Perhaps you have heard that I am boring, shallow, cheap and a waste of time. Perhaps you have heard that I am full of hypocrites, clowns, greedy people and the self-righteous.

Maybe you have visited me before and discovered horrible music, passionless singing, dry preaching and rude congregants. Or maybe right when you needed me I was too busy, too "righteous", too broke or too blind.

Maybe you joined me and found I was distant, demanding, dull and preoccupied. Or maybe you tried to serve in me but were caught off guard by business meetings, committees, teams, debates and bureaucracy.

Maybe you left and you were surprised that nobody called, cared, noticed or invited you back. Or perhaps your experience has driven you to speak negatively about me, swear to never come back to me, proclaim that no one needs me or maybe you believe that you are better off without me.

If this is true, if your heart resonates with this, I have something to say to you: "I'm sorry! I made a huge mistake and I was wrong. Please remember, my name is Church. It isn't perfection. It isn't flawlessness. It isn't completion."

"My name is church and I welcome the hypocrite, the dry, the self-righteous and the shallow. I welcome the sincere, the passionate, the forgiving and the selfless. I cannot shut my doors to the people who in the past have made you angry, uncomfortable, impatient or self-conscious."

"But I can apologize for the fact that you may have been burned by me and I hope that someday, maybe, you will forgive me and come back."

Love,
The Church.
--- author unknown

INSPIRATIONAL STORY (Keep The Fork)

A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what Scriptures she wanted read and which outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Then she said, "One more thing... I want to be buried with a fork in my hand."

The pastor was surprised and she must have noticed the puzzled look on his face.

She explained to him, "In all my years attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably say to everyone, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie --- something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then, I want you to tell them, 'Keep your fork because the best is yet to come.'"

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he told the woman goodbye. He realized she had a better grasp of Heaven than he did because she knew something better was coming.

At the funeral, when people asked him why she was holding a fork, the Pastor told them of the conversation he had with the woman before she died. He said he could not stop thinking about the fork and knew they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.
"Keep the fork. The best is yet to come."


"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' --- Revelations 21:4